Team Dubois Targets Fabio Wardley for 2026 Return

Daniel Dubois is not being eased back after his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk. His manager Sam Jones is steering him straight toward another champion, and he is doing it openly.

Dubois lost his IBF belt at Wembley in May 2025 when Usyk stopped him again. It closed a run that had restored belief around him and reopened familiar doubts about how he handles opponents who refuse to stand still.

Jones puts intent on record

Speaking to IFL TV, Jones said:

“April, latest May.”

That line shuts down talk of a slow rebuild. Jones then pointed directly at Fabio Wardley, the WBO titleholder.

“Fabio Wardley is the champion, so it would be a voluntary defence. But outside of Joshua, Tyson Fury and Usyk,  Dubois is the biggest name for Fabio Wardley to fight, which would therefore generate the most money.”

Jones is not praising Wardley. He is setting a business and sporting argument at the same time. Dubois brings risk and attention. Turning that down becomes a choice rather than circumstance.

“If Fabio Wardley gets the Usyk fight then all credit to him, he deserves that opportunity. But … if he wants to make that fight, we can make it very, very quickly.”

 Jones accepts the long shot, then offers something immediate and real.

Why this fight makes sense now

Jarrell Miller was broken down through steady pressure. Filip Hrgovic resisted early, then slowed as Dubois kept forcing exchanges. Anthony Joshua was pushed backward and stopped once Dubois established his jab and balance. Three fights. Three stoppages.

Usyk disrupted that arc by forcing Dubois to solve problems at speed. Dubois struggled to close space. His punch count fell as movement increased. When resets became frequent, his offense narrowed.

Wardley is not Usyk. He does not control distance in the same way. What he does bring is rhythm changes, short combinations, and a willingness to take chances. That makes Dubois a risky opponent for a first defense. One clean right hand from Dubois can end the night. One lapse from Dubois gives Wardley room to ounch and step away.

With both fighters under Queensberry Promotions, promotion is not the barrier. Appetite is.

Why fans would watch

Dubois is trying to prove that the Usyk losses did not define his limits. Wardley is trying to show that his title is not a placeholder. Both need answers.

It would be a great fight because it forces honesty. Power against timing. Pressure against movement. Neither man gets to hide behind a careful choice. Someone has to give ground, and someone has to take a risk.

If it happens, the opening rounds tell you everything. Dubois has to close the ring with discipline and stay balanced. If he spends time following, Wardley gains control of tempo and confidence. That weakness has not disappeared.

Jones is betting that this time, Dubois solves it. Fans get a fight where the questions are real and the consequences arrive fast.